Improvement in tables



H. 0. HALL & H. J. DURGIN.

Table Patented July 23, I878.

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HER. WASHINGTON D c "anus. finoro UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY O. HALL AND HENRY J. DURGIN, OF ROCHESTER, NE\V YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN TABLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 206,234, dated July 23,1878; application filed October 13, 1877.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that we, HENRY O. HALL and HENRY J. DURGIN, of Rochester, inthe county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certainImprovements inTable-Frames and we do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had totheaceompanyin g drawin gs, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of acorner of a table-frame constructed according to our improvement. Figs.2 and 3 are elevations of the leg and one rail.

The object of our invention is to provide an ordinary square framc=tablewith legs which are readily removable for packing and transportation;and it consists in rigidly connecting the side rails of the frame atthecorners by a diagonal brace, and providing tongues upon the ends of therails fitting into grooves in the legs, the latter being readily pushedinto and pulled out of place after the table is put together.

A A are the rails of the table-frame, to which the top is secured in theusual manner. These rails do not quite meetat the corners, and havetongues b and 1) formed upon them, which fit into grooves 0 c in theupper portion of the leg B. For the purpose of strengthening the railsand making a secure corner, we provide a diagonal brace, d, which isdovetailed into the rails, as indicated, and is preferably retained inits place by glue. This makes a very strong frame, and one that is wellbraced against strains, whether the leg is in or out of its place. Theinner corner of the leg is removed for a distance equal to the depth ofthe brace d, and the leg may thus be easily pushed into or removed fromits place after the other parts of the table are together.

It will be observed that the tongue b prevents the leg from being forcedout of place 'in the direction of the arrow f, while the tongue 7) actsin like manner with reference to strains in the direction 0, (bothtogether acting similarly in all directions,) and, the rails beingrigidly held by the brace d, lateral displacement or springing of theleg is impossible.

It is preferable, when tables made after this plan are put up for use,that the joints b b c c be glued up, as this produces the most securework; but in many cases this is not advisable, and a screw, 0, may beinserted through the brace d into the leg, and, if it is necessary atany time to knock down the table, the screw may be removed and the legpulled out. The screw 0 acts mainly to prevent accidental loosening ofthe leg in the direction of its length, and it is not necessary to itslateral attachment, that function being performed by the tongues I) I).

YVe are aware that tables with remov. ble legs are not new; that therails have been dovetailed into the legs; that the latter have beenscrewed into a corner-block; and that metallie corner-braces have beenused,'to which the legs were screwed; but all these constructions areopen to serious objections, and are essentially different from ourinvention.

By our improvement we produce a tableframe which is entirely of wood,and therefore preferred by the trade, which is very cheap and simple inits construction, and which resists strains in any direct-ion, whetherthe legs are in or out.

YVhat we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-- A knock -down table-frame embracing in its construction thefollowing instrumentalities: the rails A A, provided with tongues I) b,the leg B, having grooves c c, to which the tongues 11 b are fitted, andthe dovetailed cornor-brace (I, with or without the screw 0,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

- HENRY O. HALL.

HENRY J. DURGIN.

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